Escapes, fires, stabbing: catastrophic security failures revealed in Australia’s immigration detention network

Exclusive: prison multinational MTC uses a ‘minimalist staffing model’ that critics say is putting detainees and staff in serious danger

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A series of catastrophic security failures involving the US private prison company running Australia’s immigration detention centres has allowed the escape of high-risk detainees, caused ill-equipped staff to be stabbed and hospitalised, and triggered multiple investigations, one of which warned its “minimalist staffing model” was putting workers and detainees at risk.

Guardian Australia can reveal that in September 2025, just six months after Management and Training Corporation assumed control of onshore detention, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, was forced to haul in the company’s president from the US to dress him down in a secret face-to-face meeting.

Seriously ill detainees are missing medical appointments because MTC lacks the staff to escort them to health centres, a situation that has infuriated the home affairs department.

Two MTC staff members were admitted to hospital with smoke inhalation after trying to rescue an unconscious detainee from a fire. Investigators found MTC had not given the staff basic respiratory equipment and fire-response training six months after assuming control of the centre.

More than 12 escapes or attempted escapes have occurred in the 14 months MTC has had control of the system. A significant number took place during transport and escort operations to hospitals, airports or detention centres.

A child sexual abuse offender deemed high-risk escaped MTC custody during an escort to Sydney’s Bankstown hospital despite being handcuffed and supposedly under close watch.

In September a detainee absconded by shimmying up a light pole next to a boundary fence at Brisbane immigration detention centre. His disappearance was not discovered for 12 hours.

Late last year two detainees were able to flee a guarded MTC vehicle travelling less than 500m in Melbourne. One managed to evade capture for four days.

The risk assessment system MTC uses to classify detainees is so broken that Comcare, the federal work safety regulator, has warned the home affairs department it is putting staff at serious risk of violence.